Scoot Henderson puts NBA on notice with bold prediction

All eyes are on the Damian Lillard situation right now, but another Portland Trail Blazers guard wants his shine too.

In a video feature this week for Playmaker, Blazers rookie Scoot Henderson delivered a bold prediction ahead of his first season. Henderson declared that he will be the NBA’s Rookie of the Year for the 2023-24 campaign.

“My goal, obviously, is to win Rookie of the Year,” said Henderson. “And I will win Rookie of the Year.”

You can watch Playmaker’s full video feature on Henderson here.

The 19-year-old Henderson will face some stiff competition for the award. Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren is returning from injury for his official rookie year, Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller should get an opportunity for major usage right away, and twin brothers Amen Thompson (on the Houston Rockets) and Ausar Thompson (on the Detroit Pistons) can bring the heat as well. And oh yeah, there is also a 7-foot-4 roadblock named Victor Wembanyama who should make a pretty good ROY case himself.

But there is a reason why Henderson is so confident. The 6-foot-4 point guard looks like one of the most talented and athletic all-around players in this year’s draft class and could be truly unleashed by the Blazers if Lillard ends up getting traded. Considering some of the teams that were actively trying to move up for Henderson in the draft, the former G League Ignite star could turn us all into believers before long.